For unto us a Child is born,
unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His
name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace. -Isaiah 9:6

Come back next week for
answers…

Merry Christmas!

-David R. Brumbelow, author of Wit
and Wisdom of Pastor Joe Brumbelow, and Ancient
Wine and the Bible.

(Permission granted to
reprint.)

*******

Answers to
Christmas Test

1. How did Joseph and Mary get to the place
where Jesus was born?

Answer: The Bible does not say. Mary may, or may not, have rode a
donkey.

2. In what town was Jesus born?

Answer: Bethlehem in Judea. There was also another Bethlehem in northern
Israel. (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:5-6)

3. Who sang at Jesus’ birth?

Answer: No one.
Of the angels, Scripture uses the word “saying,” not singing. (Luke 2:13-14)

On
another note, did you know that every time an angel appears in the Bible, the
Bible describes him as a male?

4. What animals does the Bible say were at the
manger scene?

Answer: None.
While it was a barn or stable, and likely there were animals, the Bible
does not say.

5. Were the Wise Men at the manger?

Answer: No.
The Wise Men came later to the house where they were staying. Just as you would do, after the birth of
Jesus, Joseph and Mary sought, and found better accommodations. (Matthew 2:1, 11)

6. What three gifts did the Wise Men bring?

Answer: Gold, frankincense, myrrh.

7. How many Wise Men were there?

Answer: The Bible does not say, it only speaks of
them in the plural. We probably think
there were three because of the three gifts.
And, that may be correct.

8. How did the Wise Men travel to see the
newborn Jesus?

Answer: Scripture never says. But camels were often used for travel back
then. And, Wise Men riding camels looks
cool!

9. Where is the Christmas Story found in the
Bible (book & chapter)?

Answer: Matthew 1-2; Luke 1-2. Of course, there are other Bible verses
related to the birth of Christ.

10. What year was Jesus born?

a.
AD 1 b.
AD 0 c. 1 BC
d. 5 BC

Answer: We don’t know for sure. According to our calendar, Jesus was supposed
to have been born in AD 1; but our calendar is off a little. Jesus was probably born about 5 BC.

On
another note: AD does not stand for
after dead! It is a Latin abbreviation that
means, “In the Year of our Lord.” AD should come before the year; BC should come
after the year. Christians should use AD
more often.

11. What is a manger?

Answer: A feed trough for cattle and / or other
animals. 2,000 years ago they were
sometimes carved out of stone, as well as made of wood.

12. What does the name “Jesus” mean?

Answer: Savior; Deliverer. (Matthew 1:21; John 1:29)

13. Did Jesus exist before He was born in
Bethlehem?

Answer: Yes, He is God the Son and has always
existed. (Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1; Romans 9:5;
Titus 2:13; Revelation 1:8). That is why
we say Jesus came from Heaven to Earth to be born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus is the only One who could say, I’m infinitely
older than My mother, and as old as My Father.

14. What was miraculous about the birth of
Jesus?

Answer: At least two things. 1.
Jesus’ birth was a miraculous Virgin Birth. This is one of the fundamental doctrines of
the Christian faith. (Isaiah 7:14;
Matthew 1:23, 25; Luke 1:34-37) 2. Jesus’ birth was prophesied hundreds of years
before He was born. (Isaiah 9:6; Micah
5:2)

Conclusion

I
have no problem having a Manger Scene with angels singing, Wise Men, camels, a
donkey, cow, lambs, etc. After all, it’s
fine to have a composite of all the characters involved (or “maybe” involved)
in the birth of Christ. Kind of like a
curtain call at the end of a play.

But
this test is simply meant to remind us we often assume things are in the Bible
when they are not. Always remember, the
Bible is our final rule of faith and practice.

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

A
sobering Statement has been released by the American Society of Clinical
Oncology on “Alcohol and Cancer.”

Excerpts
from that article:

“The
importance of alcohol drinking as a contributing factor to the overall cancer
burden is often underappreciated. In fact, alcohol drinking is an established
risk factor for several malignancies.”

“Alcohol
is causally associated with oropharyngeal and larynx cancer, esophageal cancer,
hepatocellular carcinoma, breast cancer, and colon cancer. Even modest use
of alcohol may increase cancer risk, but the greatest risks are observed with
heavy, long-term use.”

“Beyond
oncology [medical study of cancer], alcohol use and abuse together pose a
significant public health problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, approximately 88,000 deaths were attributed to excessive
alcohol use in the United States between 2006 and 2010. Approximately 3.3
million deaths worldwide result from the harmful use of alcohol each
year. Population surveys demonstrate that 12% to 14% of adults have a
current alcohol use disorder and that 29% have had such a disorder at some
point in their lifetime.”

“Alcohol
use during childhood and adolescence is a predictor of increased risk of
alcohol use disorder as an adult. College-age and younger people who drink
are prone to develop an alcohol use disorder later in life.”

“People
who do not currently drink alcohol should not start for any reason.”

“In
a thorough systematic review of the world’s evidence that adhered to
prespecified criteria for drawing inferences, a World Cancer Research
Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) report judged the evidence
to be convincing that drinking alcohol was a cause of cancers of the oral
cavity, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, breast, and colorectum (in men). Also,
alcohol was judged to be a probable cause of increased risk of liver cancer and
colorectal cancer (in women). An updated review of the evidence for liver
cancer upgraded the conclusion for an association between alcohol drinking and
liver cancer to convincing.”

“…The
associations between alcohol drinking and cancer risk have been observed
consistently regardless of the specific type of alcoholic beverage.”

“…The
index of suspicion is high that alcohol drinking leads to excess risk of
pancreatic cancer and gastric cancer.”

“As
evidence continues to accumulate, the list of alcohol-associated cancers is
likely to grow.”

“…For
cancer prevention, it’s best not to drink alcohol.”

“The
results of meta-analyses and pooled analyses that have focused directly on this
question for upper aerodigestive tract cancers indicate that risk of these
cancers declines in those who quit drinking alcohol compared with those who
remain alcohol drinkers.”

“As
such, the benefit of alcohol consumption on cardiovascular health likely has
been overstated. As reviewed in the Magnitude of the Association section, the
risk of cancer is increased even with low levels of alcohol
consumption, so the net effect of alcohol is harmful. Thus, alcohol
consumption should not be recommended to prevent cardiovascular disease or
all-cause mortality.”

“Low
physician knowledge of alcohol use and cancer risk is another barrier to
addressing alcohol use with patients.”

“…Alcohol
use among physicians may make them less likely to counsel patients about the
risks of alcohol use.”

“Worldwide,
alcohol-related cancers are estimated to be 5.5% of all cancers treated
annually…”

-Alcohol
and Cancer: A Statement of the American Society of Clinical Oncology; November,
2017. (Bold print is mine. -DRB)

The
bad news is, we are all eventually going to die of something (Hebrews 9:27). The good news is we can significantly reduce
our chance of death from cancer and other causes by not drinking alcohol. As many have observed, what is the worst that
can happen from not drinking?

While
all these quotes are significant, some I especially noticed because of contrary
pro-drinking arguments. I’ve, of course,
added some of my own thoughts.

While
not outright saying you should not drink alcohol, the study did say if you
don’t drink, do not start. And frankly,
if you drink, you encourage others to drink.

Many
have argued drinking is good for your health.
This study says just the opposite.
Alcohol should not be recommended for heart health, or over-all
health.

Even
modest use of alcohol can increase your risk of cancer and other problems. Alcohol is a poison; its use is abuse.

Your
medical doctor is not necessarily an authority on beverage alcohol. My dad used to joke since he was overweight,
he tried to find a doctor who was overweight, so the MD would not get on to him
about dieting. Apparently, the same is
true when it comes to alcohol. Any
supposed medical benefits from alcohol can come from safer sources such as
grape juice (unfermented wine), grapes, other fruit, and vegetables. Sadly, many MDs have caused people to begin
drinking; don’t be one of them.

“For
cancer prevention, it’s best not to drink alcohol.” Not drinking alcohol, or taking other
recreational, mind-altering drugs (marijuana, opioids, etc.), will prevent a
host of other problems as well.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Excerpts
from the book, “With Christ After the
Lost,” by L. R. Scarborough.

Proverbs
8:17 (KJV)

I
love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

Matthew
19:13-14

Then
were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on
them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.

But
Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for
of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Total Depravity

“Total
depravity does not mean that a person is born guilty. It means that he is born with his tendency to
choose evil stronger than his tendency to choose the good and that apart from
the power of Christ he will continue to grow worse and worse in disobedience to
God.”

Death of a Child

“If
a child dies before he comes to the time of accountability to God, what becomes
of his soul? He is covered by the
atoning work of Christ and, not being responsible for any conscious act of sin,
is saved by Christ’s death.”

Age of Accountability

“When
does a child become accountable to God for his soul? There is no certain age – some are younger
than others. When the child voluntarily
chooses sin and is conscious of his wrong, then he becomes an active
transgressor and comes under God’s law…Most children have a sense of sin
between seven and ten years of age.”

Both a Life and a Soul

“The
saving of a child’s soul offers a double opportunity to the worker in that
there is also a chance to train and utilize the child’s talents and powers for
the service of God. A life is saved as
well as a soul. Some of our most
important and useful leaders and Christian workers come from those saved in
youth.”

Cautious, yet Zealous

“Parents
and teachers should be very cautious, and yet zealous, in dealing with
children. They can discourage them for
life or they can over persuade them and get them into the church unsaved,
without an understanding of the way of life.
Teach them; make the way plain; pray for them; give them favorable
opportunity to find Christ. Do not over
persuade, but at the same time give them every opportunity to respond to the
pleadings of the Saviour.”

Difference in Salvation
& Church Membership

“Children
must not be led to join the church in the hope that it will help them to find
Christ. Regeneration is a necessary
prerequisite to church membership. The
church will not save, help save, or keep saved – it is the place for the saved
to serve in helping to save others.
Children should be taught and encouraged to join the church when they
give evidence that they have fully and understandingly trusted Christ as their
Saviour and Lord.”

Home is Best Place
to Win Children to the Lord

“The
best place to win children is in their homes, where the parents can teach the
Word of God. Show them Christ by word
and life. Pray with and for them. The mother should not be alone in this
heavenly task. God says: ‘The father to
the children shall make known thy truth’ (Isaiah 38:19). He should reinforce the mother every step of
the way.”

Sunday School Should
be Place of Soul-Winning

“The
next most fruitful place of soul-winning among children is in the Sunday
School, where teacher, superintendent, and pastor can give them a winning
gospel and urge them individually and by classes to accept Christ. The teacher may have to do some of the work
by visits and prayers in the home in conjunction with the parents’ efforts. Every teacher ought to be a soul-winner…”

ABC’s of Salvation

“The
following is a simple but effective method which has proved its value in
children’s evangelistic services many times.
Call it ‘The ABC’s of Salvation…’

A ‘All have sinned, and come short of the
glory of God’ (Romans 3:23).

B ‘Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh
away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29).

C ‘Come now, and let us reason together,
saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool’ (Isaiah1:18).”

Object Lesson

“A
good object lesson to illustrate will be helpful. Let a piece of red paper represent the soul
that is ‘red like crimson.’ Let a piece
of red glass represent the blood of the Lamb slain to cover our sins. Look through the red glass at the red paper;
the paper will look white. Thus it is
with our souls. God cannot see our sin
when He looks through the blood of Christ.
We can have our sins covered by His blood if we will trust Him.”

-L. R. Scarborough, excerpts from “With Christ After the Lost,” Broadman
Press; 1952 (I think originally published in 1919). A great, classic, evangelism book to have in
the pastor’s, and church, libraries.

Monday, September 11, 2017

If a brother or
sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart
in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are
needed for the body, what does it profit?
-James 2:15-16

A
dehumidifier is a wonderful thing. Through
an amazing process, it extracts water from the air in a room. Put a dehumidifier in a room, and you will be
amazed at how much moisture was in the air.
You will also be amazed at how quickly things begin to dry out.

In
Southeast Texas we get roughly 50 inches of rain a year. Sometimes we get a good portion of that at
one time. For those recovering from a
hurricane, flood, or leaking water, a dehumidifier is of great value.

Dehumidifiers
are easy to use. You don’t have to
figure it out. Just plug it in, turn on
the power button, and let it run (of course, never place it in standing water,
and use standard cautions). In several
hours, it will fill with water and automatically turn off. You don’t have to worry about the water
running over. Then, just pull out the
tray, empty the water, and start it again.
You can run it once a week, once a month, or 24 hours a day.

Much
of Texas is now recovering from flood waters.
A dehumidifier costs about $200 to $250, and is worth every penny.

Right
now, many churches are working in disaster relief. I’ve previously recommended giving and
volunteering with Southern Baptist
Disaster Relief and Samaritans Purse. Disaster Relief is one of the most effective
of Christian ministries.

Along
these lines, a simple church ministry can be a dehumidifier. A church can buy one or two, and use them in
the church buildings as needed. Write
your church name and address on them. Then
when flooding occurs, they can be loaned or given to those in need. $250 is not a lot to some; it is more than
others can afford. To some who’ve been
flooded, it could be a tremendous blessing.

Another
consideration is sometimes when they are most needed, dehumidifiers are
difficult to find. If you purchase them
now, you will have them when needed.
They can usually be found at building supply stores.

So,
whether an individual or a church, consider starting a Dehumidifier Ministry. And,
do it all with a smile and a gospel witness.

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

All things were made through Him, and without Him
nothing was made that was made. -John 1:3

Yesterday the great Solar
Eclipse of August 21, AD 2017 took place across America. If you were unprepared, here are some tips
for the next Solar Eclipse.

1. Whether or not you are in the path of
totality (total eclipse of the sun by the moon), any partial eclipse can be
interesting. So, be prepared. In the Houston, Texas area we had 67%
totality. It was pretty dramatic if you
knew what to look for. The bright
sunlight dimmed and if you had proper lens, you could clearly see the eclipse
cut out a large portion of the sun.

2. Never look at the sun without proper
protection for your eyes. Proper protection
does not include squinting, holding your hand above your eyes, looking between your
fingers, or wearing a cap. Neither does
it include a pair of sunglasses, or even two or three pairs of sunglasses. You can do serious damage to your eyes by
looking at the sun.

3. Proper eye protection to look at the eclipse
include those one-dollar eyeglasses especially made for the purpose. But, get them early; they invariably run
out.

4. An alternative most do not know is to use a
welding lens or filter plate. You can
get them at a welding supply store, and sometimes at a hardware store. A man at a welding supply said to look at the
sun you need a shade 12 or 13. It was
reported by local news that NASA recommends a shade 13 or 14.

If they do not have the right
shade, you can put two together to equal the right level. For example, a shade 8 and a shade 5.

A welding lens only costs about
four dollars.

Even these welding lenses
should be purchased early; they very likely will be sold out before an
eclipse.

Do not use welding lenses that
are scratched or cracked.

5. Make you own solar eclipse viewer.

Get a welding lens, shade
13.

Get a piece of cardboard
about the size of a sheet of paper.

Lay the lens in the middle of
the cardboard and trace around it.

Cut out a rectangle slightly
smaller than the lens.

Place lens over the cut out,
and tape it to the cardboard with electrical tape.

Before covering the print on
the lens edge, you might want to copy that information on the cardboard, especially
the shade number.

Also include the date of the
eclipse.

You now have a viewer for the
solar eclipse.

6. You can also make a box with aluminum foil, a
pin hole, and white sheet of paper. The sun
shines through the pin hole and you can see the eclipse on the sheet of paper. You can find more detailed directions on the
internet.

These (#5 and #6) could also make
good projects for Sunday School, school, or home school kids.

7. A solar eclipse reminds us of our Heavenly
Father who created the Heavens and the Earth (Genesis 1:1). Christians should never worship the creation,
but we do worship the Creator. The eclipse
shows us the precision in which God hung the stars, planets, sun, moon, in
space. It should also remind us of how
God created and placed us in the perfect environment to live, thrive, and serve
Him.

8. Churches can prepare and advertise a Solar
Eclipse Party.

Place it in the paper and on
your church sign.

Print a handout with fast facts
about the Solar Eclipse and our Creator. Include your church name, address, service times.

It gives you the opportunity
for a community event, to help some who would not be able to see the eclipse,
and gives a chance for witness.

Provide snacks and drinks.

9. Professionals can take pictures of the
eclipse. But anyone can take pictures of
those viewing the eclipse. They make interesting photos.

“Eclipses are demonstrations
of God's glory” and serve as “yet another example of creation pointing back to
our Creator.”

The
violence, injuries, and murder in Charlottesville, Virginia over the weekend is
unjustified, wrong, and should be punished.

The
Confederate Statues and Memorials should stay and be protected. They are part of our history and
heritage. They teach multiple
lessons. We should not cleanse and whitewash
our own history.

Those who
are offended by Confederate Memorials - maybe that is part of the price you
need pay for multi-culturalism. Allowing
these Statues helped in bringing a divided country together again. Tolerance should work both ways.

Confederate
Statues should even be allowed to be established today.

Get rid of
other people’s Statues and Memorials, and you should not be surprised when one
day others get rid of your Statues and Memorials. How about being respectful and tolerant to
both sides?

On the
other hand, Union Statues (Civil War era), Black Leaders Statues (liberal and
conservative Black Leaders), other Ethnic Statues and Memorials should also be
freely allowed (and are). After all, we
are a diverse, free society.

A few ideas for statues of Black
leaders:

Frederick
Douglass

Booker T.
Washington

Harriet
Tubman

Ida B.
Wells

George Washington
Carver

John
Jasper

Martin
Luther King

S. M.
Lockridge

Clarence
Thomas

Thomas
Sowell

Walter
Williams

Condoleezza
Rice

The recent
controversy at Charlottesville, Virginia was marred by hate and violence on
both sides. The murder by a White Supremacist
should be punished to the full extent of the law.

The media needs to more fairly cover all sides.

Vandalism
of statues and memorials, no matter which side, should be condemned and prosecuted.

Law
Officers should vigorously uphold the law and arrest criminals, whether they be
on the left or on the right; especially in riot situations.

A couple
of quotes I find interesting:

“The hard
left seemed as hate-filled as alt-right.
I saw club-wielding ‘antifa’ beating white nationalist being led out of
the park.”

-Sheryl
Gay Stolberg, New York Times, on the demonstrations in Charlottesville, VA.

“What about the politicians such as the city
council who voted to remove a memorial that had been in place since 1924,
regardless of the possible repercussions? How about the city politicians who
issued the permit for the lawful demonstration to defend the statue? And why
didn't the mayor or the governor see that a powder keg was about to explode and
stop it before it got started?”

“I
denounce bigotry and racism of every form, be it black, white or any other. My
prayer is that our nation will come together. We are stronger together, and our
answers lie in turning to God.”

-Franklin Graham, Samaritan’s Purse, on Charlottesville,
VA.

Christians
need to love, be an example to, and witness to racists and extremists on all
sides.

Monday, July 3, 2017

For
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,
that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.-2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV

This
year the Southern Baptist Convention passed a resolution “On The Necessity Of Penal Substitutionary Atonement.” It was passed in part because some of the
more theologically liberal and progressive folks deny and denigrate this
biblical doctrine.

A
discussion of Penal Substitutionary Atonement always includes 2 Corinthians
5:21. It reminded me of Robert G. Lee’s
famous sermon, “What He Was Made.”

R.
G. Lee’s outline:

What He Was Made

1. Made Flesh
(John 1:14)

2. Made a Curse
(Galatians 3:13)

3. Made Sin
(2 Corinthians 5:21)

4. Made Alive
(Acts 1:3)

A
portion of Robert G. Lee’s message on 2 Corinthians 5:21 follows:

“Terrible
the fact that He [Jesus, God the Son], the sinless One, was ‘made sin’ in view
of God’s hatred of sin.

Behold
this picture: It is night time. A little child, wearied with much play, falls
asleep. The father and mother, the light
of love beaming in their eyes, the tone of love in their whispering voices, the
inexhaustible wonder of parental sacrifice burning in their hearts, put their
darling into the trundle bed. With deft
and tender hands the mother smooths the pillow and spreads the coverlets, the
father taking in every detail of the scene with admiring eyes. Child of phenomenal beauty that, its voice
sweeter to their ears than chiming bells, its eyes bluer than violets dew-wet,
it luxuriant curls golden like sunshine, its face on the pillow dainty like a pink
rose in a snow bank, its soft sleep-breathings like faint whispers of a harp
touched by angel fingers. What a mighty
hold those baby hands, wee and dimpled, have upon human hearts! They kneel, those parents, a minute beside the
trundle bed, pure thoughts holding high and holy carnival in their minds. Then, before they go to seek for themselves
rest and sleep, they pray that God will give them wisdom to rear that child in
the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

And
then, in the night, while they sleep, a rattlesnake with stupid audacity and
vile intrusion, crawls in through an open window and into the bed of the
child. The hideous reptile coils itself
into a circular pile and lies there apparently in a stupor until, at the
movement of a dimpled hand or a turn of the curly head, the rattler, his
buttons buzzing with diabolic effrontery, strikes out madly. And the poisonous fangs are buried in the
cheek of the child. In awful agony it died
– while the parents sleep. The next morning
they awake. They go to the bed and find
their approach challenged by the rattler whose head sways ominously while his
buttons sing with raucous warning. They
see their child swollen, dead, its little face bearing the evidence of its
frightful death agonies.

Now
– if you will magnify the attitude and the hatred for that vile rattler by that
father and mother a million times you will have a faint conception of how God
Almighty looks toward sins and upon sin.
You will know in some slight measure His perpetual attitude toward sin,
His eternal hatred of sin. Yet it is
said that our holy God ‘made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf that
we might be made the righteousness of God in Him!”

Made
sin. What does it mean? What do they mean, these two words, ‘made
sin,’ that stagger under a weight of agony?

It
means that God dealt with Him as He must deal with sin – in severe and
unrelenting judgment!

It
means that God sentenced sin, ordered sin to execution in the person and death
of His Son. Jesus has made up before God
for all we failed to do and be. Jesus
takes all our sin and sins upon Himself and bestows all His righteousness upon
us. Jesus took sin’s place on the
Cross! Took the guilty culprit’s place there! Took my place there! It means that He, the perfectly righteous
One, was made sin that we, the unrighteous ones, might be made righteous. For God meted out to Jesus the full measure
of punishment sin deserves.

It
means – He stood before God with all our sin upon Him that we, through faith,
might stand before God with none of our sin on us.

He
who was righteous was judged before God as unrighteous that we who are
unrighteous should be judged before God as righteous!

He
was made for us all that God must judge and we are made in Him by faith all
that God cannot judge.

And
this could not be through physical suffering alone! By the bloody drops of sweat in Gethsemane,
by the dirty sputum, contempt materialized in a liquid, by the rough hands that
plucked off His beard, by the merciless steel fingers of Pilate’s scourge, by the thorns that punctured His
brown veins, by the nails that pinned Him to the tree, by His mouth hot like
and oven, I know, you know, all of us know, He suffered physically on the
Cross.

But! To speak of Jesus’ suffering as intense
physical torture only is a species of spiritual stupidity and intellectual
clownishness. Because of the depths and
vastness of sin’s malignant nature, which caused the feet of Deity to draw back
with trembling, terms like bravery, courage, martyrdom, physical agony have no
place because they contain no meaning big enough to fit His experience, when He
‘made His soul an offering for sin’ – when he died a spiritual death as well as
a physical death. He founded our joy in
the deep bitterness of His own soul.

The
pangs of hell got hold upon Him! God
turned Him into the slime pits of hell!
The thirst of hell was upon Him!
The lightest of His sufferings were physical! The tortures of the damned were upon
Him. The soul of His suffering was the
suffering of His soul. He bore the
burdens of sin on His sinless soul. And
He did this for all – all!...

The
death of Christ was for us. Therefore
Christ was condemned to death instead of us.
To condemn us now after we have put our faith in Christ and surrendered
personally to Him, would be to say that the death of Christ was not sufficient
and that there was no justice with God, for He would get two payments for one
debt, two payments for one offense. But,
thank God, the death of Christ is sufficient and God is not possessed of the
injustice that demands two payments for one debt – and we can truly say, ‘There
is now therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk
not after the flesh but after the Spirit.’

We
can find no knowledge in the world better than this: that man hath sinned and
God hath suffered; that God in Christ made Himself the sin of men; that men are
made the righteousness of God!

In
view of this let us ask: Is any distance
too great to go – for Him – who went to the Cross for us? Is any burden too heavy to bear – for Him –
who bore the heavy weight of the world’s sins on His heart? Is any sacrifice too severe to make – for Him
– who was ‘made a curse’ for us? Is any
obligation too heavy to assume – for Him – who was ‘made sin’ in our behalf
that we might become the righteousness of God in Him? Is any service too great to render – for Him –
who was made for us all that God must judge and punish? Is it not time that we say: ‘I count all
things but loss…that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the
fellowship of his suffering’?”

Thursday, June 1, 2017

Some have
recently brought up the fact that people of the past, and I suppose a few in
the present, have used the Curse of Ham in Genesis 9 to justify slavery and
racism. It does not. Some Southern Baptists used this argument
years ago, but none I know of today.
Instead, for years Southern Baptists have spoken against this false
idea.

In a
previous article it, was pointed out that Southern Baptist leader T. B. Maston
spoke against this viewpoint back in 1959.
His book was published then and today by Southern Baptists.

Southern
Baptists have produced a commentary through LifeWay and Broadman & Holman
(B&H); the New American Commentary. It is presented here as just one of many more
examples of Southern Baptists, and conservative Christians, repudiating racism
in all its forms, and repudiating the false view that the Curse of Ham
justifies racism.

The New American Commentary on Genesis 9;
the Curse of Ham.

“There are
no grounds in our passage for an ethnic reading of the ‘curse’ as some have
done, supposing that some peoples are inferior to others. Here Genesis looks only to the social and
religious life of Israel’s ancient rival Canaan, whose immorality defiled their
land and threatened Israel’s religious fidelity (cf. Leviticus 18:28; Joshua
23). It was not an issue of ethnicity
but of the wicked practices that characterized Canaanite culture.

The
biblical revelation made it clear that if Israel took up the customs of the
Canaanites, they too would suffer expulsion.
It is transparent from Genesis 1-11, especially the Table of Nations (Genesis
10:1-32), that all peoples are of the same parentage (i.e., Noah) and thus are
related by ancestry. This we find at the
outset by creation’s imago Dei [man is created in the Image of God], which is
reaffirmed in God’s covenant with Noah and his sons, including Ham (Genesis 9:1,5-6).

The
blessing that befalls all peoples is carried forward by the Abrahamic promises,
which counter the old curses by the blessing received by all peoples in any era
who acknowledge the Lord. ‘Any attempt
to grade the branches of mankind by an appeal to Genesis 9:22-27 is therefore a
re-erecting of what God has demolished’* (cf. Colossians 3:11; Galatians 2:18;
3:28).”

Monday, May 29, 2017

Then he
said: “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants he shall be to his
brethren.”-Genesis 9:25

Dr. Thomas
Buford Maston (AD 1897-1988) was a longtime Ethics professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas. While a student, I had the opportunity to
briefly visit with T. B. Maston on a walk around the SWBTS campus. In 1959 Dr. Maston wrote “The Bible & Race,” published by
Broadman Press. It was a book ahead of
its times. In 2008 SWBTS reprinted this
book as a part of its Centennial Classics.

In the
last chapter, Maston deals with the Curse of Ham, or the Curse of Canaan in
Genesis 9. This biblical passage has
been wrongly used by some to justify slavery and racism. I will not reprint the entire chapter, but
Maston’s conclusion.

Conclusions Concerning the Curse

“What can
we conclude concerning the curse of Canaan and its relevance to the
contemporary racial situation? Some personal
conclusions are as follows:

1. The curse was a pronouncement of a particular
sentence on a particular sin.

2. The curse was a prophecy. Its main purpose was to predict the
subjugation of the Canaanites by the children of Israel.

3. The fulfilment of the terms of the curse and
the time of the fulfilment were dependent on the decisions and the conduct of
the ones mentioned in the curse.

4. The curse of Canaan has no direct relevance
to the contemporary racial situation.
The Negro was not included in the original curse, since he was not and
is not a descendant of Canaan. Even if
he were a descendant of Canaan, the curse itself is no longer in force.

5. Most men seek divine sanction for what they
do or want to do.

6. In seeking divine sanction for enforced
racial segregation, some have used the curse of Canaan, which they usually
label ‘the curse of Ham,’ and the Bible in general to support their
position.

7. Even Christians may defend racial segregation
as the best method of temporarily and immediately handling a perplexing problem
without doing great damage to the cause of Christ, so long as they will not use
the curse of Canaan and other biblical incidents and teachings to support their
position, and so long as they do not defend segregation as being the full and
final expression of the divine will in human relations. When the latter is done, irreparable harm is
done to the Christian movement and to the Christian witness at home and
abroad.

Surely the
God who created man in his own image, who made of one all men, who is no respecter
of persons, who loved all men enough to give his Son for their salvation, and
who taught us to love our neighbor as ourselves did not and does not intend
that any man or any segment of mankind should be kept in permanent subserviency
or should be treated as innately inferior, as second-class citizens in a
first-class society.”

Thursday, May 4, 2017

1.You are created in the image of God.Yes, you!You have great worth.Life is
precious.

2. Don’t let anyone or anything ruin your life. Hang in there, keep going. Sometimes the best revenge is simply to live
a good, happy life. There are victims,
and there are volunteers. Don’t be a
volunteer. Refuse to be a victim.

3. Though times are tough, they almost always
get better.

4. Suicide is devastating to family and
friends. I remember a man telling of the
suicide of a close relative. Though the
suicide had taken place years before, I could still see the pain in his
eyes.

5. Suicide may encourage someone else to do the
same.

6. Suicide destroys the handiwork of God. It is the murder of yourself.

7. Others care more than you know. Some people especially like you, and you
don’t even know it.

8. Help is available from church, school, family,
friends. Pastors, Youth Ministers,
Teachers, Counselors, Relatives are ready to help, if you just ask. Some of those old people may have just the
answer you’re looking for. Spend a
little time with them.

9. The Bible is God’s letter to you. In its pages you will find strength, hope, truth,
love, joy. Start reading in the Gospel of
John or Luke. Check out Psalms and
Proverbs. There’s stuff in there you
never imagined. My favorite translation
is the New King James Version (NKJV).

10. God has a plan, great plans, for your
life. You’re just getting started.

11. Have you made a mess of things? You’re not the first. God forgives and is in the restoration
business.

12. Jesus Christ, God the Son, loves you so much
He gave His life for you. Trust
Him. Together you can handle anything.

13. Don’t throw away your future. Be patient.
You will never know what you can accomplish in your 20s, 40s, 60s, until
you get there.

Southern Baptist Pastor

Serving the Lord on the upper Gulf Coast of Texas.
Author of The Wit & Wisdom of Pastor Joe Brumbelow, Hannibal Books; and Ancient Wine and the Bible, Free Church Press.
See Article, "About Gulf Coast Pastor" for more information.